Questions posed by 2-dimensional time

How does time work in 2 dimensions?

Right now, we know that time is one dimensional and can move in two directions (forward or backward). Although man hasn’t yet found out a way to move in the time dimension at a speed of his choice or a direction of his choice, this has been a pretty interesting topic to pass time. Einstein’s relative theory, however, tells us that time passes relatively. This has many interpretations, some which challenge the very definition of time itself. Is the minute we defined same across the universe? The age of the Earth is about 4.6 billion years when measured in reference to the sun, but when measured in reference to the milky way galaxy, it is less than 25 years (Galactic year). So, our old man, the earth, is technically a tween in a different time. A different interpretation of time which is most commonly used by a lot of people to make a point about boring and interesting tasks is that time flies when having fun and slows down when doing something boring.

But, if we look at it closer, it is our perception of time that is at a different pace than time itself. Here, time is not moving at a different pace than 1 second per second. We are still affected by time in the same way. Man is still stuck at the point of being unable to manipulate his speed of time or his direction of travel in the time dimension. So we have a constant speed or velocity (is that the right term to be used here?) in the time dimension.

Our assumption in coming to this conclusion that the time dimension behaves the same way as the space dimension. The degrees of freedom in the time dimension is the same as the degrees of freedom in space when looked at independently. So, when we are talking about the one-dimensional time, we assume that there are two ways in which we can move. Forward and backward. Although speed is also a factor, we are only interested in the degrees of freedom. Extending this to work for a two-dimensional time, we have the ability to move in 6 different ways. Forward, backward, up, down and rotate (clockwise and anticlockwise).

Probably the answer to “What is the time now?” would be interesting to hear

So, now that we have set the directions in which we can actually move, what are the various things that can possibly happen in movement in the 2d time? If we move in an oblique way, not aligned to any axis, we have a constant speed on each axis, which might not be the same across both axes. We might move faster in the up-down axis and slower in the forward-backward axis. This would mean that in one axes our work day is shorter compared to the other one. But we need to use both of the coordinates to uniquely represent the time. Probably the answer to “What is the time now?” would be interesting to hear. It’s 5 pm by 4:36 am. As we are used to a single dimension of time, it seems odd to us to denote time as such. Or are we?

Is it possible that we are measuring time as a distance from a particular point?

Is it possible that we are measuring time as a distance from a particular point? Let’s assume, for the sake of measurement, that the axes are in scales of hours. So 3 hours by 4 hours, 4 hours by 3 hours, 5 hours by 0 hours, 0 hours by 5 hours rotated 90 degrees anti-clockwise would be at the same distance from the reference point. But the co-ordinates are different. The paths reached are different. But the time elapsed (the distance from a reference point) is the same. Probably this would explain how some people could get so much done in the same one hour than others (just kidding).

What if the speed accelerates on one axes for a while and decelerates after that?

But coming back to the point, we are still dealing with the basic movements. Translation and rotation. And also our assumption of constant speeds in the axes. What if the speed is not constant? What if the speed accelerates on one axes for a while and decelerates after that? Similar to that of a sine curve? What if the opposite motions happen on the axes? What if the speeds on each axes are entirely different? Then the timeline (probably time-curve would be more apt) would be a curved equation. If we add rotation at any point, then we would have complex equations which are defined at each point rather than having a single equation. Should the time-curve (let’s say this from now on) be a continuous curve? Or can it be discontinuous by time machines? All this is being done without the space dimensions, by the way. Add them and we have 5 dimensions and infinite possibilities.

If time is not the distance from a reference point, then what is it? If it is, then how many other dimensions of time are we measuring in a single number? If there are in-fact multiple dimensions of time, how would we perceive them? Or is it because we are unable to perceive them, we have decided with one dimension? Or is perceived time another dimension which works independently with the actual passing of time?

The answers to any of the questions above are – we don’t know. But it’s the quest for answers that keeps us alive and makes time fly!!